Atlanta airport tops O'Hare as nation's busiest in 2005...

January 04, 2006

Atlanta airport tops O'Hare as nation's busiest in 2005 ATLANTA (AP) -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has topped Chicago O'Hare International Airport as the nation's busiest in terms of takeoffs and landings, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Hartsfield-Jackson finished 2005 with 980,197 takeoffs and landings, while O'Hare was second with 972,246. O'Hare had the most takeoffs and landings in the U.S. in 2004 with 992,471, compared to 964,793 at Hartsfield-Jackson, the FAA said. A possible explanation for the surge at the Atlanta airport is fleet and operational changes at Delta Air Lines Inc., which has its hub in Atlanta. The airline, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has shifted more flights to Atlanta after shuttering its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and scaling back operations in Cincinnati. 4 teens tell police they planned to burn 27 stolen Jesus statues SAYREVILLE, N.J. (AP) -- Four teens stole 27 baby Jesus statues from Nativity scenes outside churches and homes and planned to burn them, police said. Two of the suspects, who ranged from 15 to 19 years old, said they acted out of boredom, authorities said. "They were looking for things to do," Detective Ken Kelly said. "They told us, 'We were going to have a baby Jesus burning party."' The suspects, who were arrested Monday, face charges of theft, criminal mischief, destruction of venerated objects and conspiracy, and could face up to five years in prison if convicted. Iran announces it will resume research on nuclear fuel TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran told the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency Tuesday it planned to resume nuclear fuel research after a 2 1/2-year hiatus, issuing a fresh challenge to Western nations concerned that Tehran was trying to build an atomic weapon. International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei said it was important that Tehran "maintains its suspension of all enrichment-related activity" as a way of reducing international suspicions about its nuclear plans. Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said research would "resume in cooperation and coordination with the IAEA in the next few days," adding that it would "have little to do with the production of nuclear fuel." Beyond that, he would not specify what type of research Tehran planned but claimed its nuclear program had suffered significantly during the research suspension. He said Iran could no longer keep its research scientists in limbo. The Tuesday announcement, while vague, as certain to raise further concerns in the United States and among its European allies who believe Iran wants to build a nuclear arsenal. Tehran says its nuclear program is for electricity generation.